Factsheet
Tisha b'Av Megathread
In exactly a week, Jews around the world will observe Tish'a B'av. Here's what you should know.
What historical events are commemorated on Tisha bโAv?
What are the observances during Tisha bโAv?
What is Tisha bโAv?
Several events are listed in chapter 13 of Megilat Ta'anit:
- The Jews in the wilderness were decreed to die in the wilderness and not enter Israel.
- The First Temple was destroyed.
- The Second Temple was destroyed.
- The city of Beitar was conquered.
- The City was razed.
ืืชืฉืขื ืืื ื ืืืจ ืขื ืืืืชืื ื ืฉืื ืืื ืกื ืืืจืฅ ืืืจื ืืืืช ืืจืืฉืื ื ืืืฉื ืื ื ืืืื ืืืชืจ ืื ืืจืฉื ืืขืืจ
The fifth event lacks details. The parallel account in the Mishnah (Ta'anis 26b) is also vague on this fifth event. Rambam, however, provides us with some details:
Hilchos Ta'aniyos 5:3
ืืชืฉืขื ืืื ืืืฉื ืืืจืื ืืืจืขื ืื ื ืืืจ ืขื ืืฉืจืื ืืืืืจ ืฉืื ืืื ืกื ืืืจืฅ ืืืจื ืืืืช ืืจืืฉืื ื ืืืฉื ืืื ืื ืืืื ืขืืจ ืืืืื ืืืืชืจ ืฉืื ืืืื ืื ืืืคืื ืืจืืืืช ืืืฉืจืื ืืืื ืืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืื ืื ืืฉืจืื ืืืืืื ืืืืืื ืฉืืื ืืื ืืืฉืื ืื ืคื ืืื ืืจืืืืื ืื ืืจืื ืืืื ืืืืชื ืฆืจื ืืืืื ืืื ืืืจืื ืืืช ืืืงืืฉ ืืื ืืืื ืืืืื ืืคืืจืขื ืืช ืืจืฉ ืืืจื ืืกืจืืคืืก ืืจืฉืข ืืช ืืืืื ืืืช ืกืืืืื ืืงืืื ืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืฆืืื ืฉืื ืชืืจืฉ
On the Ninth of Av, five tragedies occurred:
It was decreed that the Jews in the desert would not enter Eretz Yisrael;
The First and the Second Temples were destroyed;
A large city named Betar was captured. Thousands and myriads of Jews inhabited it. They were ruled by a great king whom the entire Jewish people and the leading Sages considered to be the Messianic king. The city fell to the Romans and they were all slain, causing a national catastrophe equivalent to that of the Temple's destruction.
On that day designated for retribution, the wicked Tineius Rufus plowed the site of the Temple and its surroundings, thereby fulfilling the prophecy [Micah 3:12], "Zion will be plowed like a field." (Chabad.org)
Here are additional events to the ones already noted in other answers
Expulsion from England (1290): The Jews of England were expelled by King Edward I (chabad.org)
French expulsion (1306): The Jews were expelled from France (from here)
Spanish Expulsion (1492): The Jews of Spain were expelled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella on the 9th of Av of 1492, terminating many centuries of flourishing Jewish life in that country. (see here #6)
Start of the first World War (1914): The German army started to march east (a war never starts on one specific day, see Wikipedia for chronology in first days of August, 9Av 1914 was August 1)
Opening of the Treblinka concentration camp (1942) (from here)
Mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto (1942) (from here)
Deadly bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina which killed 86 people and wounded some 300 others (from here)
Disengagement from Gaza (2005) (from here)
Wikipedia here has more references for these events.